Dave Mason & Cass Elliot

Artist: Dave Mason & Cass Elliot
Label: Mca Special Products
Category: Music

Average customer rating:

Media: Audio CD

UPC: 076743134029
EAN: 0076743134029
ASIN: B000002QX1

Release Date: 1995-01-01

Dave Mason & Cass Elliot

Related Categories:

General

| Pop | Styles | Music

Soft Rock

| Pop | Styles | Music

Pop Rock

| Pop | Styles | Music

General

| Rock | Styles | Music

Progressive Rock

| Progressive | Rock | Styles | Music

Tracks:

Walk to the Point
On and On
To Be Free
Here We Go Again
Pleasing You
Sit and Wonder
Something to Make You Happy
Too Much Truth, Too Much Love
Next to You
Glittering Facade

Similar Items:

Alone Together/Headkeeper
It's Like You Never Left/Dave Mason
Let It Flow
Alone Together
It's Like You Never Left

Customer Reviews:

Where's Mama?.......2006-07-20

Depending on your perspective, this album may or may not stand as Dave Mason's sophomore 'solo' disc. From the perspective of Blue Thumb Records, the producers of Dave's first solo album, 'Alone Together', this unusual pairing of two seminal figures from West Coast rock circa-1970 is Mason's third release. Blue Thumb did Mason the favor of releasing the much superior 'Headkeeper' disc prior to this duet with Cass Elliot, and another favor in 1973 when 'Dave Mason Is Alive' was released. Mason hadn't given Blue Thumb the thumbs-up for either release, however, prompting his departure from the label. From Dave's perspective, therefore, 'Dave Mason & Cass Elliot' is his sophomore effort, but it's easily the weakest of these four productions.

'Dave Mason & Cass Elliot' is a complete departure from the gritty rock/deeply emotional ballad composite that made 'Alone Together' one of the classic albums of the 1960's. Totally absent from the disc is Mason's engaging wah-pedal guitar runs, and rather than exploring the depths of emotional intimacy through lyrical masterpieces such as 'Sad and Deep As You', Mason offers up a series of rather superficial, undistinguished pop ballads. Unfortunately, such fare would continue to present itself as the mainstay of Dave Mason's work throughout much of his career, with only occasional high water marks such as 'We Just Disagree'.

Although Mama Cass Elliot receives co-star billing on the album cover, her contributions elsewhere are seriously limited. She carries lead vocals on only two tracks, both of which are co-writes between Cass and Mason ('Something To Make You Happy'), and Cass and bassist Bryan Garo ('Here We Go Again'). On the remaining tracks, she is relegated to either unsubstantial background vocals or no vocals at all. Not that her presence really makes that much difference, however, since none of the compositions being offered are all that remarkable anyway. The best lyrical passages occur on 'Sit and Wonder', with it's thoughtful chorus ("sit and wonder why I'm wondering at all"). When the competition is the likes of "get it on with me" from 'Pleasing You', however, that isn't saying much.

The high points of the disc include the opening track, 'Walk To the Point', although this version is overproduced with excessive vocal overdubs (none of which are from Cass Elliot, incidentally). A much superior, stripped-down live version from The Troubador venue in L.A. is offered as the opening track on 'Dave Mason Is Alive', and that performance serves as the standard for this composition. Mason also reprises 'To Be Free', which Blue Thumb released in a studio version with Graham Nash on background vocals on 'Headkeeper'. This version with Cass Elliot features nice conga work from Russ Kunkel, but the Nash version is more robust. The final track on the disc also deserves mention. 'Glittering Facade' at 4:45 is the longest track featured on 'Dave Mason & Cass Elliot'. It is distinguished again by Kunkel's conga's, as well as Dave Mason's acoustic guitar work, and Paul Harris' organ performance. Even the vocals, with lots of "la, la, la, la, la" and "dit, dit, dit, dit, dit, dit, do, do" add nicely to the mix.

MCA Records is famous for putting out no frills compact discs, and this release is no exception to that rule. Aside from the music, you receive two photographs and three listings of the songs. That's it. There are no liner notes and no printed lyrics. At least the running times are offered on the disc itself. I'm a long-time, ardent fan of Dave Mason, but you would REALLY have to be a die-hard to pay the steep asking price for this collection of mediocre muzak from someone capable of much better work.

Boy, is this one hard to find!.......2006-02-15

Mystifying. This CD is unbelievably rare. It's also unbelievably great! "Dave Mason & Cass Elliot" has truly aged to perfection. I bought it when it first came out on LP and have sought it on CD for years. When I finally got it (at an outrageous price I might add), I was truly surprised to find out how good it was.

And why shouldn't it be? It's Dave Mason at his creative peak, only a few months after "Alone Together". Mama Cass is in peak form as well. This is a good as anything she's done, including the Mamas and the Papas.

Why this album is so hard to find on CD is truly mystifying. A re-release would seem to be a no-brainer, particularly since there are legions of Dave Mason fans who have yearned for a worthy followup to "Alone Together" but could never find one. Well, DM fans, look no further. Here it is, in all its glory. Ten Dave Mason originals, impeccably perfomed and sung by two artists at the peak of their creative powers.

It doesn't get any better than this.

A Glittering Facade !!.......2005-02-23

Well, I bought the original Elliot/Mason band album in 1971.I could never stop listen to it.It's always fantastic.The combination of the two voices could not be better.She only sings lead in two tracks: Something To Make You Happy which is a pretty good tune wrote by her and Dave Mason and Here we go again ,wrote by her and Bryan Garo.Since Wild Women, from the The Big Three,it's the first time Cass co-write songs for her albuns.The vocal structure it's almost the same as it used to be in the Mamas & Papas albuns, the group sung together most of the songs,and Cass does only two solos. Songs like On & On in which Cass made her superb backing vocals,as well as Pleasing You, Sit & Wonder and Next To You, has always been my home soundtrack.The duet between her voice and Mason's acoustic guitar solo in Glittering Facade it's rhythmcally incredible.It's a great CD and it's a pitty that MCA doesn't release the tapes from the concert that The Elliot/Mason Band did in 1971 at Winterland,San Francisco, as a Collector's item.

Pity..........2002-05-10

This album could have been much greater if Mason had had the modesty to recognise that Elliot's voice was much superior to his. It's a pity listening to Elliot doing backing-vocals to Mason's inexpressive solo attempts. It should be the other way round: Elliot going solo and Mason backing her.
Anyway, some of the songs are nice enough and it's always a great pleasure listening to Elliot, even when she is allowed just one solo track. Well, nothing is perefect...

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